Many individuals suffer from pulmonary afflictions, such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) that result in excess mucus production in the lungs and airways. Excess mucus secretions that obstruct respiratory airways and interfere with the ability of the individual to breathe must be cleared and expelled to prevent pneumonia, particularly following a surgical procedure. A common respiratory therapy for assisting an individual to loosen mucus secretions is known as Positive Expiratory Pressure (PEP). PEP is an airway clearance technique exercise that utilizes breathing resistance to generate positive pressure in the lungs and open airways. The positive pressure allows air to flow below the areas of mucus obstruction and move the obstructions from the smaller airways to the larger airways where the excess mucus can be expelled when the individual coughs. PEP therapy can also be used to promote deeper deposition of aerosol medication deeper into the lungs when combined with nebulized bronchodilator therapy. Additionally, PEP devices are beneficial to immobilized patients by providing means to exercise lung function and promote bronchial health.
A common PEP device, known as a PEP valve, has a mouthpiece that allows the user to draw air into the lungs through a one-way valve and subsequently blow the air out through a restricted channel, such as a small hole. The small hole causes resistance against exhalation that creates a positive pressure in the airways of the user, and consequently, an urge to cough. An enhanced PEP respiratory therapy known as oscillating PEP, also referred to as “flutter”, utilizes a pipe-like device including a mouthpiece and an interior cone that cradles a steel ball sealed within a perforated cover. To perform the exercise, the user breathes in through the nose and exhales through the mouthpiece. As the user exhales, the ball oscillates within the sealed cone and the oscillations are transmitted throughout the user's airways to loosen and mobilize mucus obstructions during exhalations.
Another device, known in the art as an Acapella valve, combines PEP therapy with high frequency oscillation therapy. The Acapella valve includes a housing containing a lever having a magnet at one end. Air exhaled from the lungs of the user creates airflow through the Acapella valve that causes the lever to move back and forth inside the device. The device further includes magnetic means for adjustably varying the amount of resistance against exhalation, and consequently, the number and magnitude (i.e., frequency and amplitude) of the back and forth movements of the lever.
Yet another enhanced PEP respiratory therapy device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,598 issued to Foran et al. and assigned to DHD Healthcare Corporation of Wampsville, N.Y., USA. The Foran et al. enhanced PEP respiratory device provides a variable frequency and variable magnitude positive pressure in the lungs and airways of the user utilizing a non-linear orifice for adjusting and maintaining a desired positive expiratory pressure oscillation according to a predetermined range of the pressure of the expiratory air exhaled by the user. The device includes a rocker assembly and a pivotal magnet support coupled to an adjustable orifice support that form a mechanism by which the discharge of expiratory air by the user is periodically interrupted to create a pulsating wave form. The frequency and magnitude of the pulsating wave form can be adjusted within the limits of the oscillating positive expiratory pressure therapy prescribed for the user.
The aforementioned PEP respiratory therapy devices, and in particular the existing devices for oscillating PEP therapy, are relatively complex in construction bulky, and oftentimes difficult to use, especially when being used to perform exercises to prevent pneumonia. As a result, the known devices are typically costly, cumbersome and prone to mechanical failure and misuse. It is apparent a need exists for an improved respiratory therapy device. A more particular need exists for an improved PEP module configured for use with oscillating positive expiratory pressure therapy. A still further need exists for an oscillating PEP therapy module of relatively simple construction that is economical, easy to use and less susceptible to mechanical failure and misuse.
In view of the problems, drawbacks, deficiencies and disadvantages associated with the existing PEP devices, the present invention was conceived and one of its objectives is to provide an improved PEP module for respiratory therapy or to perform exercises to prevent pneumonia.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide an improved PEP module configured for use with oscillating positive expiratory pressure therapy.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide an oscillating PEP module of relatively simple construction that is economical, easy to use and less susceptible to mechanical failure and misuse.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide an oscillating PEP module for producing and transmitting oscillations of expiratory air to the lungs and airways of a user to loosen and mobilize mucus obstructions.
Various other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as a more detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention is set forth below.